Downward dog, wha?

The lovely folks down in Dogs Trust took part in a yoga class recently. But it wasn't just any yoga class - it was a yoga class featuring a load of eight-week-old Jack Russell Terriers who had been taken in and reared by the charity. The dream, tbh. Dogs Trust took part in the initiative to mark World Mental Health Day, and although mental wellness absolutely cannot be achieved simply by having an adorable dog balanced on your shoulder, it might just help some of us that little bit. And it's adorable, as mentioned above. The yoga was offered to Dogs Trust employees by Umbrella Wellness, a workplace wellness provider who are adamant that including pets in everyday actives can - and will - have a positive impact on our mental and physical health. Some research has shown that people who own dogs are less likely to experience depression. Similarly, having a pet present in the workplace has been shown to boost productivity and employee satisfaction. "When we heard that we could introduce some of their puppies into the first part of class we absolutely jumped at the opportunity," said Laura Farrington, co-founder of Umbrella Wellness. "Research suggests that dogs increase our general wellbeing, and that’s what our company is all about – bringing happiness and mindfulness to organisations to help improve their employees’ health and wellbeing, enabling them to create a positive work/life balance.” Becky Bristow, executive director at Dogs Trust, said that she introduced the puppy yoga to encourage mindfulness in a workplace that can often be dominated by stress and upset. "Healthy staff who feel valued by their employer, improves the overall functionality and efficiency in the organisation," she said. "This ultimately enables us to save even more dog’ lives. We want to ensure that we look after our team as well as the dogs in our care. "Puppy Yoga is also a great way to socialise our puppies as we get them used to a variety of different sights, sounds and smells, which is critical to their development in the first few months of their lives.” Perfection, the lot of them.